إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًا 24
Translations
Except [when adding], "If Allāh wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."
Transliteration
Illa an yasha'a Allah, wadhkur rabbaka idha nasiyta, wa qul 'asa an yahdiyani rabbi li-aqraba min hadha rashadaq
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah teaches the principle of divine will (qadr) and the importance of remembering Allah when one forgets to mention His will in future plans. The verse instructs believers to say 'If Allah wills' (Insha'Allah) when speaking of the future, and to invoke Allah's guidance when forgetfulness overtakes them, seeking a better and straighter path. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a correction to the youth of the Cave regarding their statement about the duration they would remain there without qualifying it with divine will, establishing the Islamic etiquette of conditional speech.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of the story of the People of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf), specifically addressing their statement about remaining in their cave for a certain period. The ayah comes as divine instruction to rectify their omission of mentioning Allah's will ('If Allah wills') in their future plans, teaching believers a fundamental principle of Islamic theology and speech.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever says he will do something tomorrow and does not say Insha'Allah (If Allah wills), has disbelieved in divine will.' Additionally, Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Do not say for anything, I will do it tomorrow, without adding 'If Allah wills'' (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan An-Nasa'i).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers to maintain conscious awareness of their dependence on Allah in all endeavors by regularly invoking His will in speech, and to seek continuous guidance from the Lord when uncertainty or forgetfulness arises, fostering humility and spiritual consciousness in daily life.
Related Ayahs
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا
And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".
وَأَمَّا ٱلْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَـٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُۥ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَـٰلِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُۥ عَنْ أَمْرِى ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience."
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.